For StrategyQuant X, a powerful desktop PC or workstation usually offers the best price-to-performance ratio for strategy generation, backtesting, optimization, and robustness testing.
But if you need SQX to run remotely 24/7, or simply prefer a server-based setup, a dedicated server is generally a better choice than a standard VPS. A dedicated server gives you exclusive access to the physical CPU, RAM, and storage, which typically results in more stable and predictable performance. Standard VPS plans usually rely on shared CPU resources and can therefore be significantly slower, even when they advertise a high number of virtual CPU cores.
A VPS is usually better suited for running MetaTrader and live trading strategies, where hardware requirements are much lower.
For most advanced users, a practical setup is:
- a powerful desktop PC or workstation with a modern multi-core CPU, at least 64 GB RAM, and a fast NVMe SSD for StrategyQuant X;
- alternatively, a dedicated server if SQX needs to run remotely or continuously;
- a smaller VPS located close to the broker for running live trading strategies.
When comparing computers or servers, focus on real CPU performance rather than the advertised number of cores alone. For example, an older dual-Xeon workstation with many cores can still be considerably slower than a modern Ryzen-based desktop with fewer, but much faster, cores.